LUCKNOW, Oct. 12 -- Under their ongoing "Operation Prahar" to put an effective check on illegal activities, Lucknow Police have seized tons of illegal firecrackers in the past one week as part of their crackdown on illegal manufacture, storage, and sale of crackers ahead of Diwali.

However, entirely curbing the illegal activity is a major challenge as despite multiple raids and large-scale seizures, the illicit trade in raw materials and finished crackers remains rampant, driven by a network that extends beyond the city's borders. As Diwali nears, officials say while seizures have been significant, completely eliminating the illegal trade before the festival remains a challenge for them.

Over the past few weeks, police teams have seized...